Frequently asked questions

Martyn's Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It was introduced to improve preparedness and public protection at certain premises and events in the UK.

The law requires those responsible for qualifying premises and events to take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of physical harm if a terrorist attack occurs at their premises or nearby.

The requirements are proportionate to the size and circumstances of the premises. Qualifying premises are generally divided into Standard Tier and Enhanced Tier, with additional requirements applying to larger premises and qualifying events.

The aim is not to predict or prevent every possible incident, but to make sure organisations have considered what they can reasonably do to protect people and respond effectively.

Under Martyn's Law, the Responsible Person is the individual, company or organisation that has control of the premises in connection with the activity that brings the premises within scope of the Act.

In many cases this will be the organisation that operates the premises. For example, a company leasing and operating a shop would normally be the Responsible Person for that premises.

Tasks can be delegated to managers, employees, advisers or other people, but the Responsible Person cannot simply delegate away their overall legal responsibility.

Where an organisation is the Responsible Person for an Enhanced Tier premises or qualifying event, it must also designate an appropriate senior individual to ensure that the organisation complies with its requirements. In some situations there may be more than one Responsible Person operating within the same location, and the Act contains requirements for appropriate co-ordination and co-operation.

The tier will usually depend on the greatest number of people, including staff, that can reasonably be expected to be present at the same time, from time to time, together with the other qualifying criteria in the Act. As a general guide:

• Fewer than 200 people — the premises will generally fall outside Martyn's Law, although the other criteria and any applicable exceptions should still be considered.
• 200–799 people — Standard Tier — if the other qualifying criteria are met, the premises will normally fall within the Standard Tier.
• 800 or more people — Enhanced Tier — if the other qualifying criteria are met, the premises will normally fall within the Enhanced Tier and additional requirements will apply.

There are important exceptions. Qualifying places of worship and premises used for childcare, primary or secondary education, or further education remain within the Standard Tier even where 800 or more people may be present. Qualifying events are treated differently and are subject to Enhanced Tier requirements where the relevant criteria are met.

Capacity alone does not determine whether Martyn's Law applies. The type and use of the premises, the number of people reasonably expected to be present, exclusions and special provisions all need to be considered. For definitive information about whether your premises or event is within scope, you should refer to the current statutory guidance issued under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

Use the Readiness Check to find your likely tier

No. The Martyn's Law Workbook is designed to guide ordinary Responsible Persons through a structured process. Questions are asked in plain English, one at a time, with a short explanation available wherever a term might be unfamiliar.

Yes. Your work is saved as you go, so you can complete an assessment across several sittings rather than needing to finish everything in one session. The dashboard shows you exactly what is still outstanding when you come back.

Yes. Standard Tier includes 1 user and Enhanced Tier includes 5 users users, with additional users at £5 per user, per year. Roles let you give someone the ability to contribute to assigned work, or to view records without editing them.

Yes. Multiple premises can sit under one organisational account, each with its own Responsible Person, assessment and plans, while an organisation-wide dashboard shows which premises are up to date and where priority or overdue actions remain outstanding.

See multi-site organisations

Yes. Plans are living documents. When staff, buildings or activities change, you update the underlying information and the plans that draw on it stay current — with a record of what changed and when.

It appears clearly on the management dashboard, flagged and linked directly to the action itself, so you can move straight from noticing it to resolving it.

Yes. Photographs, floor plans, certificates, briefing records and PDFs can all be stored against the assessment, measure or action they relate to, and are kept in one document repository for the premises.

No, and you should be wary of any system that says it does. The Martyn's Law Workbook is designed to help organisations structure, record and manage their protective preparedness arrangements. Organisations remain responsible for ensuring that the measures and procedures they implement are appropriate to their circumstances and applicable legal requirements.